Wagon-seat



(No Model.)

0. S. MINER.

WAGON SEAT.

No. 328,505. atented Oct. 20, 1885.

N. PETERS. Pholo-Lilhographen Washington I). C-

YATES IJNrrn WAGON-SEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,505, dated October 20, 1885.

Application filed March 31, 1885. Serial No. 160,747. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER S. MINER, of North Adams, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVagon-Seats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in wagonseats.

Hitherto it has been customary to secure the springs supporting the seat of a truck-wagon rigidly to a frame consisting of two pairs of upright standards connected by cross-bars, or to mount the seat on a loop-spring and hinge the latter to one standard on each side of the wagon-body, or to mount the seat upon a pair of elliptic springs and secure the latter to a bracket hinged to one standard on each side of the body. The first of these constructions, while affording an easy riding and durable seat, is objectionable on account of its being in the way in loading and unloading the wagon. The second construction mentioned overcomes the objection of being in the way in loading and unloading, but does not prove an easyriding seat, as it has too much of a tilting motion for comfort. The third form of seat mentioncd above is open to quite a serious objection, inasmuch as the standard which supports the seat is required to be placed so near the front board that another standard is required between it and the point where the side-boards are cut apart, and the two standards not being connected by any bar or tie by which the seat can assist in preventing the body from spreading when heavily loaded, the two rear stand ards are made to project above the side-boards, and a chain is used to connect them and prevent the body from spreading.

The object of my present invention is to provide a wagon-seat which shall be free from the objectionable features of those hitherto constructed, and which will at the same time possess all their advantages; or, more particularly, my obj ectis to provide a spring-seat which may be conveniently turned forward out of the way in loading and unloading, and which, when in position for use, will bind together a pair of substantial supporting-frames,

a further object being to provide improved means for hinging and locking the seat to its supportingframes; and with these ends in view my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the seat in position for use. Fig. 2 is a view of the same turned over out of the way, as in loading or unloading; and Fig. 3 is a detached View of one of the hingebars to which the spring is secured.

A represents the wagon-body. It is provided 011 each side, near the front end, with a pair of upright standards, a, rigidly bolted thereto. The upper ends of the standards a are connected by a cap or cross bar, B, constituting,- in connection with the standards, supporting-frames for the ends of the seat.

The upper face of the cap B is provided with an iron plate, 0, near the rear end of which is a closed oblong slot, 0, through which the shank of a spring-catch, D, passes.

The spring E, which supports the seat F, is firmly secured to a flat bar, G, by means of clips, bolts, or. other suitable fastenings, 0, preferably by means of bolts, which pass through perforated lugs f on the sides of the bar G, the heads of the bolts being countersunk in the under faces of the lugs, and the bolts embracing the opposite sides of a block, H, and the opposite edges of the spring E, and secured in the perforated ends of yokes h by draw-nuts g.

The forward end of the bar G is provided with a socket, I, which is adapted to receive a thumbscrew pintle, z. A pair of bent straps, K, are secured to the front standard and cap, one on each side thereof, and project beyond the end of the cap in perforated ears k. The thumb-screw pintle t extends through the perforations in the cars and is screwed into one of them, thereby locking the bar G in a vertically -swinging adjustment between them. The rear end of the bar G is provided with an elongated closed slot, L, which is adapted to receive the head of the spring-catch D, and become thereby locked in close contact with the plate 0. v The shank of the catch D is secured to the rear standard, a, and is of such shape that the catch is held normally, by the spring of the shank,in contact with the upper face of the bar G. The top of the catch is rounded or tapered, so that it will take in the slot L and force the spring forwardly to admit of the bar G resting in contact with the plate 0, when it (the catch) will automatically adjust itself and lock the bar in its position.

The shape of the straps K is such that they serve to strengthen the joint between the standard and cap, and thereby prevent any liability of straining or breaking the joint when the seat is thrown forwardly.

M is the foot-rest, which is conveniently supported upon the forward ends of two side bars, m,which are bolted to the standards a, and serve to steady them in position.

As thus constructed, the seat may be thrown forwardly out of the way whenever desired, the foot-rest M forming a support for it when in its forwardly-tilted position; or it may be entirely removed in a very short time by simply unscrewing the thumb-screw pintles. Instead, however, of allowing the seat to rest on the foot-board and be thereby subjected to damage by chafing or otherwise, I find it preferable to insert an iron plate, P, in the front face of one or both of the front standards at the point where the front end of the spring would naturally strike in turning the seat forwardly. The plate P is provided with a pocket, 19, in which is embedded a piece of vulcanized rubber or other soft or elastic ma- Having fully describ my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combinatiomwith two pairs of standards firmly secured to the sides of a wagonbody-one pair to each side-and caps or crossbars connecting the sta wls, of a sprin seat hinged to the front portions of the standards or cross-bar, and adapted to be tilted forwardly beyond the front of the body, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a pair of horizontal bars forming the heads of two end supporting-frames, and bars hinged to the forward ends of the said horizontal bars, of a springseat secured to the hinged bars, substantially as set forth. 7 t

3. The combination, with a pair of horizontal bars forming the heads of two end supporting-frames,of bars hinged to the forward ends of the said horizontal bars by removable pintles, and seat-springs rigidly secured to the I hinged bars, substantially as set forth;

4.. The combination, with the end supporting-frames and the seat secured to a bar provided with asocket adapted to form a half hinge, of a pair of bent straps secured to the opposite sides of the supporting-frames, and

adapted to form bearings for the pintles of the hinges, and at the same time strengthen the frame-joints, substantially as set forth.

- 5. In a forwardly-tilting wagon-seat, the combination, with the hinged tilting bar and horizontal stationary rests for the same, of a spring-catch secured to the supporting-frame and extending upwardly through horizontal rests, and hinged tilting bar, substantially as set forth.

6. The-combination, with a pair of tilting bars having the seat secured thereto, and hinged to the supporting-frame, of horizontal rests for the tilting bars having metal plates on their upper sides, and spring-catches for locking the tilting bars to their rests, substantially as set forth. 7

7. The combination, with a seat-supporting frame and a forwardly tilting spring seat hinged thereon, of a cushioned rest secured to the front of the supporting-frame, adapted to receive the end of the spring and support the seat in its tilted adjustment, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OLIVER S. MINER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE F. MILLER, SHEPHERD THAYER. 

